© Bayer MaterialScience AG
Consolidation of market position through innovative ideas
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1970 |
Emergency accommodation made of polyurethane rigid foam helps with natural catastrophes. Use of polyurethane igloos, for example after earthquakes in Turkey and Peru.
Weather-resistant windows made of Baydur® M with the same heat insulation capacity as wood.
Imitation wood ("genuine" appearance) made of rigid polyurethane integral-skin foam Baydur® rather than oak beams.
Baycast® polyurethane cast for orthopedics and surgery.
Two methods still in use today for industrial ski production from Baydur®: the injection molding and sandwich methods. |
| 1971 |
| "Soft-face" cars: flexible Bayflex® surface for bumper systems. |
| 1972 |
| Track surfacing for the Munich Olympic Stadium: another success for Bayer polyurethane elastomers. |
| 1973 |
| Car seats with customized Bayfit® all-foam polyurethane instead of steel springs. Variant: textile foam backing. |
| 1974 |
Baytec® polyurethane hot cast systems based on TDI and MDI prepolymers. An addition to the range alongside the high-tech elastomer Vulkollan® (based on NDI) in line with market requirements.
More and more new applications in cars: polyurethane now also used for roof liners (Baynat®) and steering wheels (Bayflex®). |
| 1975 |
Cavity filling with Baytherm®, Example 1: car cavities are filled and protected.
Cavity filling with Baytherm®, Example 2: conservation of valuable old trees. Rotten defective areas are cleared out and then filled with foam. |
| 1979 |
Sprayable building insulation with highly reactive systems (Baytec® Reactive).
Rotational molding of elastic roller coverings (Baytec® Reactive). |
| 1980 |
| Automotive interior trims made of glass fiber mat reinforced Baydur®. |
| 1981 |
| Surfboards made of a glass fiber and polyurethane composite (liquid resin press molding) - Baypreg®. |
| 1982 |
| Dual hardness foam for car seats with reinforced edges. A single operation involving Bayfit® and multiple mixer head technology. |
| 1983 |
| A "plastic car" manufactured by General Motors is a sensation at the K'83 Exhibition. Exterior parts produced from Bayflex® by the RIM process. |
| 1986 |
| Semi-finished products for electrical and mechanical engineering (e.g. fiber composite laminates) with Blendur®. Advantages: fire safety, long-term heat resistance and excellent electrical insulation. |
| 1989 |
| Protection for passengers in the interior of vehicles with energy-absorbing foams. Bayfill® EA e.g. as protective lateral padding. |
| End of the 1980s |
1970 to 1989. Over these years, polyurethanes have become a natural part of our daily lives - in virtually all walks of life throughout the world. The range extends from the automotive through the building and many other industries to the health sector. It is typical of polyurethanes that many of the new applications are only possible through the creative interplay between chemistry and technology. Reaction injection molding (RIM) technology attracts attention in 1971: from now on it is possible to produce large parts from highly reactive polyurethane systems. 1981 sees the beginning of multiple mixer head technology.
The recycling of polyurethane is becoming increasingly important. Bayer is intensifying its existing R & D in this area. For example, rebonded foam is obtained by a recycling method dating from the 1970s. Flakes of polyurethane flexible foam are wetted with a binder, placed in a mold, compacted and cured. Adhesive pressing is another method of recycling. Size-reduced polyurethane waste is mixed with MDI polymer and molded into sheets under pressure at high temperatures. Other methods include glycosate processing, polyurethane powder as filler, compression molding.
Among our numerous environmental measures, production of the first CFC-free flexible foam slabstock in 1989 is one with the greatest impact on the public. Several pentane blowing agents are brought onto the market during this period as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons. |
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